(Credit: Oper Köln official website)

Two major German opera houses, Nationaltheater Mannheim and Oper Köln have extended their closures until at least May 1, 2021. Both opera houses stated that the decision comes on the heels of a rapidly worsening epidemiological situation.

The German federal government and Prime Ministers of German federal states have agreed to extend the lockdown in Germany by applying emergency brakes until at least April 18, 2021. Top German epidemiologists have warned that the country might face a healthcare system overload by early April 2021.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s top aide warned that the country could face a possibility of a SARS-CoV-2 mutation that will be able to evade the immune response generated by COVID-19 vaccines if there is no decline in new daily cases.

Robert Koch Institute has announced that the 7-day infection incidence in Germany currently stands at 135.2.